The Blue Orchid
by classicdoctorwhorocks
Summary: Jane Fowler thought she couldn't lift her life out of the endless dullness of Hembridge, her sleepy hometown with a population of 10. However, when she comes face-to-face with a survivor of a shattering war, will she and the so-called "Doctor" be able to survive the mystery of the Blue Orchid?
1. Chapter 1

The Blue Orchid

Chapter 1

Jane Fowler was drawing again. She drew a lot now. There wasn't much else to do. She didn't get out much, and that meant complete silence in the house. So she drew.

Today she was drawing birds. They were her favourite things to draw. There was something transfixing about the way those wings could project them though the air, how they could see things nobody else could. She thought of a phrase she'd read in a book. _As innocent as a bluebird. _Nobody asked the bluebird's opinion. And who's to say they aren't guilty of anything?

She decided she might as well go out. She went downstairs, and poked her head around the door of the living room. Her mother was watching TV, and barely looked up. Jane hovered near the doorway awkwardly, as the news came on.

"Yorkshire has unveiled a natural wonder within the dales today," announced the newsreader. "The elegant blue flower is known as the Blue Orchid, because of its rarity. It is believed to be the only one in the area, but naturalists are closely searching the lush landscapes for yet more treasures which might be dotting Britain." Jane watched for a few more moments, then left quickly.

Her house was only a few streets away from the bustling centre of Hembridge. Well, about as bustling as a village with a population of 10 could be. It looked rather silly, really. Row upon row of pretty little houses left to rot. Most of the shops still operational were run by villagers for villagers. They hadn't even bothered to appoint a mayor.

In the centre of the square was the statue of Charles Hemford, the man who'd founded Hembridge, who now had seven rude words written on his medals and a curly moustache. The three or four teenagers in the village had to amuse themselves somehow. Plan A was to vandalize somebody's property. Plan B was to torture Jane.

She often felt jealous of the other teenagers. There was Malcolm, the only available person who could still call himself a boy for miles. Clever, "book-smart" Sadie. Streetwise and funny Olivia. The beautiful and popular Christina. And then there was Jane. Plain, plain Jane.

She sometimes wondered how they did it. How did they manage to make their clothes look like designer clothes, when there wasn't a Debenham's for a hundred miles? Jane couldn't. She was wearing a homemade brown jumper which her big sister had presented her with at Easter, brown corduroy trousers which had belonged to her mother's sister's ex-husband's ex-wife's husband's daughter. Even her knickers were distinctly unattractive. And brown. No wonder Malcolm looked through her as if she blended into the walls. Which she probably did, since most of the houses and the school were brown as well.

Because there was nobody else out that day, she heard the noise almost immediately. A harsh grating sound, which she found oddly musical. It sounded like the dying call of some sort of bird of prey. Eventually it stopped, with a hollow thud.

A police box stood beside Hemford's statue. It looked particularly out of place in the faded atmosphere, since it practically radiated blue. Real, rich, brand new blue. Well, sort of. The box appeared to have black soot stains on it, as well as a dark red substance which Jane decided not to think too hard about.

She did not expect the box to open. However, it did. A man stepped out. He was wearing even more modern clothes than Christina's, with a leather jacket, and _jeans. Proper, authentic jeans. _His head was shaved. And when his eyes met Jane's, they were an electric blue, and looked youthful yet old at the same time.

Despite her shock at this unscheduled arrival, Jane found herself saying:

'I don't think you should park there. You could try somewhere a little more out of the way.' The man seemed to think.

'Could be right,' he said in a Northern accent. 'Back in a minute.' He ducked back into his odd blue object, and for no particular reason, Jane stepped back.

She stared in disbelief as the contraption took off in the strangest way she'd ever seen. The odd, keening, grating sound started again, and the box slowly faded out of sight. A fierce breeze swept her long brown hair back, as she stared blankly at the place where the most exciting man she'd ever seen had been just moments before.


	2. Chapter 2

For once, the birds weren't helping.

As Jane sat once again at her desk, the smooth lines weren't nearly as satisfying as they had been that morning. The only properly exciting opportunity she'd ever received had gone out of her reach. And all because she had to open her big mouth and say something clever. She wondered where the man in leather had gone, and whether he'd thought of her.

It was then that a head poked into her window. A shaved one, with big ears.

'Hello!' said the head cheerfully. Jane blinked.

'You climbed up here?'

'Yup.'

'Two floors up?'

'Mm-hm.'

And you'd like to come in?'

'Preferably.' Jane inclined her head slightly, and the strange man swung first one leg, then the other, over the window frame, and landed in her bedroom. He grinned.

'Lovely room. Much better than the others.' Jane nodded, then remembered she was talking to a man who'd climbed through her window just past midnight.

'Why did you go into this house, of all places?'

'What? And interrogate the cobwebs, you mean? You may not have noticed, but yours is the only inhabited house for half a mile. Believe me, I know. I've been up and down since half six.' Jane wondered how much drainpipe-climbing experience he'd had since that morning.

'I see. Do you want to talk?'

'I love the ones that catch on quickly.' The tall man flopped down comfortably onto her bed, sighing in relief.

'Thank God. I'm glad you're the one I saw in the street yesterday. Would have been awkward if it was one of those other ones.'

'You remembered me?'

'Yeah. Why?'

'Nothing. It's just… not many people do.' She realized how pathetic she sounded when she said that, and blushed. Luckily, the man just grinned.

'Well, not many people are like me. What's your name?'

'Jane Fowler,' she replied easily. 'Yours?' The Doctor frowned.

'Why do you want to know that?'

'So that if you try anything now you've broken in, I can report you to the authorities.'

'Oh. I'm the Doctor.'

'Doctor Who?' The Doctor stared for a moment, then let out a laugh, then quickly stifled it.

'It's alright. Mum's out at the pub.'

'Oh. I saw some teens coming from there earlier. They looked a bit young to be in a pub, if you ask me.'

'One of them almost _owns_ the pub.'

'Oh.' They sat in silence for a bit longer. Finally the Doctor spoke.

'Did you do these?' He was pointing to the large collection of drawings which were pushed to one side of her desk. Many of them were birds. There were also several of Pepper, Mrs Spring's Westie, who had died three months previously.

'Um, yeah. You're the first one to see them, really. Apart from me. Obviously.'

'They're very good. Hasn't your mum seen them?'

'She doesn't come upstairs very often.'

'Oh. So… do you stay in silence most of the day, Jane? It must be hard to take.'

'I don't know, you get used to it.' The Doctor suddenly looked very sad. Jane decided to change the subject.

'Would you like to sleep over?'

'Nah, I've got my TARDIS. I believe you've been introduced previously. Meet you again at the square in the morning? Good. See you then.'

'But… the box is a bit small isn't it, sir?'

'Oh, if only you knew.' He let this statement sink in for a couple of seconds, and then jumped up. 'See you!' He jumped out of the window. Horrified, Jane rushed to the window, bracing herself for a bloody mess.

The man had disappeared into thin air.

It was only as she drifted off to sleep that she realized he hadn't answered her question.

Doctor WHO?


	3. Chapter 3

It was only with a gigantic effort that Jane managed to get a few hours of fitful sleep. At approximately six forty-five in the morning, she was standing in Hemford square, waiting for the Doctor.

Mr Garland the butcher was just setting up.

''Ello, lovely!' He bellowed, his rather squashed face beetroot with the effort. It was a well-known fact to everyone except Mr Garland that he was completely deaf in one ear, and partially blocked in the other. However, they were far too polite to tell him, only dropping hints every now and again.

'Good morning Mr Garland!' Jane yelled back, almost at a louder volume than the elderly butcher. 'Any strangers come by recently?!'

'Any what, darlin'?' Mr Garland cupped a hand to his good ear. 'You must speak up, you have such a sweet, quiet voice.'

'Any strangers!'

'No! It's good for young people to have a healthy interest in the community. I remember when I was a lad…'

'Well, just tell me if you see any-'Jane stopped. The wheezing, grinding noise had started again. She quickly realized she had to get rid of the butcher, who would probably make an almighty fuss, which was what she knew the Doctor did not want.

'What was that, Joanne?'

'EXCUSE ME, MISTER!' Jane bellowed at a point just beside Mr Garland's elbow. 'DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH THAT CHICKEN COST MR GARLAND?!' As desired, the old man turned, and hobbled to the back gate, just missing the blue box which came into being. Jane sighed, and hurried towards it.

The Doctor stepped out. He was wearing the same outfit as the day before. He grinned at her.

'Sense of déjà vu?' Jane smiled and nodded. What else could you say to that?

'Who was that bloke who was just there? Thanks for getting rid of him, by the way.'

'You're very welcome. But how did you know he was there? You didn't come out till he was gone.'

'I saw him on the sc-'The Doctor quickly changed the subject. 'Now, are you ready?'

'If I come with you, will there be any conditions?' Jane said. The Doctor frowned.

'Well, firstly, you have to accept that the place I am taking you is potentially dangerous. You might see people die. Next, you must follow me at all times, and do not wander off. Next- I'm the boss. Really.'

'Yeah, right.' The Doctor laughed.

'Some things never change, now do they? Alright then, hop in!' He gestured to his box.

'It's a box,' Jane said blankly.

'Mm,' said the man, looking vaguely amused.

'A small. Blue. Box.'

'You know, you were a lot easier to get along with last night, you know, when your brain was working properly.'

'But what're you going to do with a box? I thought this was meant to be a crisis?'

'So it is. Now shut up, dear. Come on!' With that, the Doctor grabbed Jane by the arm, kicking and fighting furiously, and dragged her inside.

'Stop, stop! You can't do this! I'll have you reported! I'll call the police, and then-'She opened her eyes. And her mind blew.

She was standing in what looked like a cave, except with loads of technology. Cables hung from the high ceiling. A strange thing that for some reason reminded her of mushrooms stood in the centre, as supporting columns came down like tree roots. Another column on top of the mushroom-console-thing, cast an eerie green light over the room.

'I like it,' she murmured. 'Very Spock.'

The Doctor whistled. 'You're taking this quite nicely. Reminds me a bit of Sergeant Benton in that nasty business with Omega. You see, most people say, 'It's bigger on the inside.' But he was like: 'It's pretty obvious, isn't it?' Then again, that was the 70's. Stuff like that happened all the time.' The girl was looking at him blankly.

'Sergeant who?'

'Benton. United Nations Intelligence Taskforce. Best cup of coffee on Earth, except for dear Mrs Pepys. Has a business in used cars now. Lovely bloke.' Jane was still looking none the wiser, so the Doctor cleared his throat awkwardly.

'Ah. You haven't been introduced, have you? Jane Fowler, allow me to introduce you to the TARDIS. That's Time and Relative Dimensions in Space. It travels in time and space, and is practically indestructible.'

'I see,' Jane said faintly. 'Tell me, has life always been like this, or is this just a bad day?'

'Let's find out,' said the Doctor. 'C'mon! We're going to see the Blue Orchid!'

'Hang on! Won't it be closed to most people while the enviromentalists check it over? That could take days.'

'I'm not like most people.' She had to agree.


End file.
